Editing Catacomb

<span style = "color: #800000">'''''Episode mount in progress--Archivist.'''''</span>
<br> <br>

''Game Date: 18 Dec 2010''<br>
''Present: Cindy, Kim, Maer, Andy, and Jim''<br> <br> <br>



'''August 21, 1867, Wednesday'''<br>
'''St. Lorenz Cathedral'''<br>
'''Nurnberg, Germany'''<br>
'''Twilight'''<br><br><br>


We regroup on the steps of the cathedral and as we make our way back to the hotel we form our plans.  Dionysius suggests we rent a farm with a barn at the outskirts of the city for a month.  There we will train and prepare for our upcoming engagement at Lake Bled.  He also states he plans to hire local women to act as help and housekeepers are agreed upon as well as having Ezekiel Drake train the women in our party the arts of swordsmanship.  We also decide that it is odd that a cathedral as lovely and large as St. Lorenz should go so  long in disrepair and resolve to speak to the Bishop about it on the morrow.<br><br>


'''August 22, 1867, Thursday'''<br>
'''0430 hrs'''<br><br>

Katherine is dreaming.  She dreams that there is danger and she hears footsteps and she is cold, very cold.  She wakes up screaming. Which of course galvanizes Josephine and Flora who are sharing her room with her.  Flora shakes off her paralysis first and goes to Katherine’s side while Josephine follows in close second with her gun drawn, checking the windows, doors, and fireplace flue.  No signs of unwanted entry reveal themselves, but everyone feels a very cold draft pass through the room. It being an old building, drafts are to be expected, even in August.<br><br>

The men of our party are in the room next door and immediately run to Katherine’s door and knock, asking if she’s all right.  Flora calls them in and we all get ourselves pulled together.  Apparently only Dionysius and Ezekiel are here to help the women. Bertie has taken himself off to sample the nightlife Nurnberg has to offer.<br><br>

Josephine feels a draft—very cold—but a check of the windows, doors, and fireplace flue show they are all closed.  It is an old building, but still… Josephine offers to get everyone tea but everyone declines.  Katherine and Ezekiel pray, hoping the action would reveal anything or dispel anything, and Beignet does a “scientific exorcism” with his thaumaturgic skills.  Flora mentions a séance might work if the room were emptied of people—she wouldn’t want to risk holding one with three occupants sensitive to spiritual emanations.  Certainly not after what has just happened to Katherine.<br><br>

Eyeing Beignet’s efforts, Katherine remarks that she’s never seen Beignet do a scientific exorcism before, her tone heavy on the irony.  Beignet retorts that Katherine hasn’t ever been attacked by spirits before, either.  Flora suggests we could be attacked by spirits all the time.  After all, how would we know?<br><br>

'''Beignet:''' Well, she has yet to leap out of bed and fall into the hands of a man wearing bedclothes prior to this.<br>
'''Katherine:''' (hmphs!) Well I haven’t had a man wearing bed clothing in my room before.<br>
'''Beignet:''' And for that you are most welcome.<br><br>


None of the investigatory methods turn up anything and it is hard to tell if the dispelling methods were efficacious.  We only know that nothing further happens and the menfolk adjourn to their room again.  Bertie arrives some time later, having caroused with women and drink all night long. <br><br>


'''August 22, 1867, same day'''<br>
'''After sunrise'''<br><br>

Bertie is still fast asleep and has a remarkable ability to stay asleep while snoring loudly.  Certainly the noise of his roommates rising and getting ready for the day fails to wake him. Neither are attempts to rouse him successful.  Beignet and Ezekiel debate what to do.  Leave him here to his own devices?  Wait for him to wake before tackling the catacomb? What of the work involved in relocating to the farm we’ve arranged to rent? Should we leave him to oversee that in our absence?<br><br>

Beignet writes a note for Bertie and will leave it for Ezekiel to sign.  As Beignet explains to Ezekiel:<br><br>

'''Beignet:''' It won’t be insulting if it’s from you.<br><br>

The note instructs Bertie to take over the move to the farmhouse when he awakens, to hire men to handle the heavy lifting and have the two women we’ve hired to go to the farm to prepare the house for our arrival come the evening.  All this is to be done BEFORE he goes out carousing again. <br><br>









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